I think for 95% of my cooking, my recipes will be titled: easy blank recipe. This easy duck recipe is sure to please whoever you cook it for. Plus, you probably won’t stress out too much.
I was nervous about cooking my first duck. Something about spending $40+ on a piece of meat you could potentially mess up: it’s not that hard, and if I can do it, so can you.
In New Jersey, my “thing” was going to diners. I don’t know if my “thing” in California is cooking large meats or baking cakes, but I’m still doing it. With recipe blogging, I’ve quickly learned that you need to write a story for SEO for your recipes to be seen. The readers don’t care about why you are cooking an easy duck recipe; they want a recipe. BUT if you found this recipe, it’s probably because my random story about cooking an easy duck recipe was enough text to get me ranked in google results. So it’s a catch 22 of a random extra story of why I roasted a duck that you probably won’t read. Like my college papers that needed word counts, it’s just filler so enjoy.
Here we go; why did I decide to make this easy duck recipe?
My husband and I have been making a big recipe on Friday or Saturday. It feels fun, and it’s enough to last a few days so we can focus on the finer things of life like scrabble. Previously, I’ve attempted Ribs, ham, Prime Rib Roast. I’ve made the baking front: Peanut Butter Cake, Three Layer Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, and Baking a Red Velvet Cake.
You should know, including this easy duck recipe, all of my recipes are easy. I am not a fancy chef, and I don’t try to be.
Before making this Easy Duck Recipe Ask Yourself:
- Do you like duck?
- Do you like vegetables cooked in fat?
- Do you want to tell your friends you accomplished eating an entire duck…alone?!
If you answered yes, you’re ready to make this easy duck recipe.
Easy Duck Recipe:
Easy Duck Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 4-5 lb duck
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 bag salt potatoes
- 1 bag baby carrots
Instructions
Prepping the Duck:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cut off wing tips with a sharp knife.
- Remove Giblets.
- Remove excess fat then rinse off the duck inside and out.
- Prick the skin with a sharp knife.
- Place carrots and potatoes in the pan.
- Fold neck skin under body and place in a roasting pan, breast side up.
- Pat dry and rub salt and pepper all over.
Cooking the Duck:
- Roast duck for 45 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Flip duck to breast side down and roast for 90 minutes.
- Continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Easy Duck Recipe Notes:
- If you choose not to use the vegetables, make sure to add a small layer of water underneath the duck. You’ll find duck fact splatters a lot more than any other meat.
Duck Fat:
- Speaking of duck fat, don’t get rid of it! Duck fat is one of the healthiest and best things to cook with. Chefs worldwide swear by duck fat (at least that is what I’m told). You can read more about that.
There a few challenges I learned with cooking duck:
- Spattering: Duck gives off a lot of fat, making a mess. The vegetables underneath allow the fat to absorb.
- Brown color: It’s hard to get a “perfect” brown color. My duck wasn’t perfect but flipping it keeps it more uniform.
- Carving: It’s hard to carve a duck! The easiest way to carve a duck is to remove the two breast halves. Then cut the legs off, followed by picking the rest off.
- Portion size: Duck is a lot more fatty, so you will be surprised to learn that a $40 duck might barely be enough for 2 people. My husband and I easily finished off a 5-pound duck for dinner.
You can see more recipes here.
Questions for you:
Have you cooked duck before?
What is your favorite poultry?